Pro-family march draws 15,000 in Argentina

Mendoza, Argentina, Jun 23, 2010 / 12:06 pm (CNA).-
More than 15,000 people from the city of Mendoza, Argentina, marched together on June 19, encouraging the nation’s senators to vote, "in favor of matrimony between one man and one woman."

According to a press release, the 15,000-strong group of demonstrators who were organized though Facebook, marched on the city center shouting slogans such as "we want a father and a mother." The march was attended by the Archbishop of Mendoza José Maria Arancibi as well as a number of diocesan priests.

The crowd of thousands moved towards the Provincial Legislature, encouraging senators to acknowledge that "the family, based on the matrimony between a man and a woman is the natural form in which children come into the world" and it is the right place where they can be "received, raised and educated."

The protestors also demanded that "laws in relation to family issues need to meet the real needs of the weakest and those who are socially compromised; they should not solely represent the particular interests of a select few groups in Buenos Aires, as has been confirmed."

In debates held at the National University of Cuyo before the march, psychologist Andrew Gottfried said that "Children need the support and guidance of a male father and a female mother, as they are able to grant from their unique psychology, roles and natures, everything that is necessary for stimulating a child’s healthy growth."

Although local media reported that the march was attended by just over 6,000 people, the police of Mendoza, who were in charge of security for the event, estimated the amount to be approximately 15,000.